Beating The Anxiety of Not Having a Seat Assignment

A seat reservation at an airline can sometimes be harder to get than a dinner reservation at a hot restaurant. But just like slipping the maître d’ a tip, carriers will let you in for a fee.

Airlines routinely block seats for a variety of reasons, reducing the pool of available seats to reserve for free when you book a trip. This week’s Middle Seat shows that on many flights now, 30%-40% of coach seats are blocked off by the airline for premium customers, people with special needs or available only for a fee. And facing the likelihood of getting a bad seat at check-in, sitting apart from children or even getting bumped from an overbooked flight, many travelers feel pressured to pay for a reserved seat.

For most customers, American Airlines hides from view open seats reserved for potential bookings by elite-level or full-fare customers by marking them “occupied.’’

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.